“Research shows that 25 percent of college students gain at least 5 pounds during their first two months of school; 70 percent are not eating enough fruits, vegetables and whole grains; and 50 percent eat fast food or fried food at least three times a week”
Eating healthy is essential to keeping you feeling energized. In college, it’s easy to sometimes eat without consciously considering the food that you’re consuming. However, we cannot forget the importance of providing essential nutrients to our body. These nutrients help us to stay focused in class and also stay energized during the day.
As college students, we want to eat snacks that are nutritious, cheap, and easy to make.
So, what to do? Take a trip to the grocery store (it’s fun to go with a roommate or friend) and pick up the necessary ingredients to make these following snacks right in your dorm room:
{1} Raw veggies- celery and baby carrots with low-fat ranch dressing can be dipped in hummus if you’d like additional protein
You can also try adding half a sliced cucumber to 3 tablespoons of humus.
{2} Fresh fruit– apples, bananas, oranges, grapefruit (it’s easy to pick these up in the dining hall!)
{3} Non-fat yogurt– try to avoid the yogurts that are packed with sugar. Instead, try plain Greek yogurt or Yoplait light (they have great flavors)! If you need something a little more filling, try Chobani.
{4} 94% fat-free microwave popcorn– Some people are unaware that popcorn is a whole grain!
{5} Low calorie granola/ cereal bars- Special K has quite a few in these flavors: blueberry, strawberry, peaches & berries, chocolatey drizzle, vanilla crisp, honey nut, chocolatey pretzel, raspberry cheesecake, and chocolatey chip cookie. Yum!
{6} Oatmeal– Oatmeal is a great source of calcium, iron, vitamins and minerals. The packets are so easy to make! Try McCann’s Irish Oatmeal (150 calories per half cup serving) or Quaker Instant Oatmeal Lower Sugar Maple & Brown Sugar (120 calories per packet)
{7} Trail Mix– this is a great source of protein, so it will keep you full for a longer period of time. Try purchasing this:
Bear Naked Peak Energy Cranberry Almond Trail Mix (¼ cup contains 140 calories, 2g fiber, 4g protein, and 7g fat)
Here are a few other recipes to make in your dorm room
Apple Crisp
1.Slice apples
2.Sprinkle on granola
3. Bake in toaster oven until browned and apples are soft
Strawberries and Yogurt
1. Slice fresh strawberries onto a bowl of yogurt.
Couscous with chopped tomatoes and fresh mint leaves
1. Add 1 cup of boiling water to 1 cup of couscous
2. Let stand for 5 minutes
3. Add chopped tomatoes and mint
Oatmeal with Bananas and Maple Syrup
1. Add 1/3 cup of oatmeal to 1 cup of water and microwave for 3 minutes
Below are a few of Lauren Conrad’s nutritious snack recommendations:
Grapes and Grahams
1. Take one graham crack and split into two squares
2. Spread each square with a light layer of cream cheese
3. Sprinkle halved grapes over the top.
Pear/Apple & String Cheese
1. This combo will satisfy your sweet tooth while also giving you the protein and calcium that cheese provides.
*Also in my search for healthy snacks, I came across tons of “Low-Calorie Snacks for Every Craving”. Here are a few snack ideas that caught my eye.
Low-fat vanilla yogurt (1/2 cup) with 2 tablespoons canned pumpkin plus a pinch of pumpkin pie spice (114 calories, 1g fiber, 6g protein, 2g fat)
14 Wheat Thins Cinnamon Kick Crunch Stix with one 3.9 ounce cup Mott’s Healthy Harvest Granny Smith applesauce (180 calories, 3g fiber, 2g protein, 4g fat)
La Tortilla Factory High Fiber Low Carb tortilla (6.5 inch) wrapped with smoked salmon (1 ounce) and low-fat cream cheese (1 tablespoon) (113 calories, 7g fiber, 11g protein, 6g fat)
I hope you enjoy these healthy snack ideas! Please comment below to share some of your favorite snack recipes with our HC Princeton readers!
Information Sources: CNN, Go Activism, Lauren Conrad, Real Simple
Image Credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10